Tree Pruning

Tree Pruning may be necessary to maintain a tree in a safe, healthy condition. At D.Jeanes, we are specialists in taking care of a variety of tree maintenance pruning solutions, including Deadwooding, Crown Cleaning, Crown Thinning, Crown Raising/Lifting, Crown Reduction and Pollarding.

Crown Thinning

Crown thinning is the removal of a portion of smaller branches, which are usually found at the outer crown, to produce an even density of foliage around the branch structure. Crown Thinning can take place for one of two reasons: to allow increased light to penetrate the crown or to allow wind to pass through the tree, lessening the 'sail effect'.

Crown Thinning is a tough skill to master, and our team of qualified tree surgeons have the skills, expertise and quality tools to take care of the job. Growth needs to be removed evenly throughout the crown, paying particular attention to the branch ends and not just the inner branches. The overall shape and size of the tree should be unaffected by a good crown thin.

Deadwooding

As part of an efficient tree pruning service, D.Jeanes can offer a fast, effective and high quality Deadwooding service. This is the removal of dead limbs and diseased branches from the tree and is normally carried out for safety reasons. In most trees, there will be dead material in the crown, but it is the larger branches that cause the most concern, as they pose the biggest risk to people and property with the potential to fall.

Crown cleaning is another tree pruning option This is the removal of deadwood, going down to a smaller size, and the removal of branches that are rubbing against each other on the tree. This is carried out mainly for aesthetic reasons as opposed to safety.

Crown Reduction

Crown Reduction is perhaps the trickiest service, requiring the most skill and practiced technique from the tree surgeon. If a tree has got a little too big for a location (or better still, before it gets to that point) reduction may be a good tree management option.

The trick to a good crown reduction is taking the appropriate amount of growth off, without having a negative impact on the health, vigour and aesthetics of a tree. Experience is the key when deciding how much to reduce by; too much and the tree will put on a large amount of panic growth resulting in a dense and bushy crown.

The height of the tree will first be reduced to suitable secondary growth, and then the sides will be pruned back, again to suitable growth, to form a natural and pleasing appearance. Be aware that cutting the tops off trees ('topping') is not the same as crown reducing and is harmful to the tree; it creates many problems in the future and should be avoided. Please see our Project Gallery for some examples of our Crown Reduction projects.

Pollarding

Pollarding is an age-old practice of managing the size of a tree. It refers to the removal of the entirety of a tree’s growth to form a compact size. It is important to note that not all trees respond positively to Pollarding; the age and species will dictate whether a tree is suitable for this particular service. If you are unsure whether this is the pruning service for your tree, please contact our team and we can thoroughly discuss your requirements.

Once a tree has been Pollarded, it is important that it is well-maintained and re-pollarded, as the new growth that sprouts from the pollard heads is often weakly attached and may snap if it is left for too long.

We recommend every 3-5 years depending on the species of your tree, applying rotation such as this will make it quicker, easier and more affordable in the long run. It is also important to differentiate between pollarding and 'lopping'. Lopping is highly detrimental to trees and should be avoided, in order to maintain a healthy, strong tree.

Crown Raising/Lifting

D.Jeans can help with any Crown Raising/Lifting task. This refers to the removal of the lower branches of a tree, or preparing the lower branches for future removal. Crown Raising/Lifting can be an effective solution for clearing pathways, buildings and services.

Crown Lifting can also be an effective method for increasing light transmission to areas closer to the tree, or to enable access under the crown. We often specify the clearance height in metres; the legal requirement for highways is 5.2M and for footpaths is 2.5M.

For further information on our Tree Pruning services, or to discuss your requirements with a member of our team, please contact us today.

Our Services

About D.Jeanes Tree Care

D.Jeanes Tree Care provides expert tree surgery in Evesham, the Cotswolds and the South West Midlands. With a team of highly skilled, qualified and experienced tree surgeons, we are able to carry out all aspects of arboriculture and tree work, no matter what the size or specification. We specialise in all areas of professional tree surgery from Stump Grinding and Firewood, to Tree Pruning, Tree Removal and Hedge Cutting.